Marionette
by Shaynezo
Summary: Sequel to 'Those Who Are Heartless.' The first installment MUST be read in order to follow this sequel. Spencer returns for Aria in the dead of night and whisks her away so they can finally be together. And this time - nothing, and no one will come between them. Spencer is determined to have Aria for the rest of her life - however short that may be.
1. Familiar Territory

PLEASE DON'T HATE ME, YOU GUYS. I PROMISE I AM BACK FOR GOOD. I had a really rough past year - declining physical health (ship is running smoothly now! For the most part), a few deaths in the family, and a few other personal issues I had going on. BUT I AM BACK AND READY TO ROCK. If you guys will still have me, of course. I've missed all of you and I am so happy to be back and writing!

This is a sequel to _Those Who Are Heartless,_ and if you guys thought that was bad - just _wait._ I really hope you guys like this. First chapter here we go!

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 _ **5**_ : _ **20A.M.**_

"Aria, let's go!"

"I'm trying, but you're walking too fast!"

Outside of Aria's house, the girls are running down the block, under the dim glow of a few streetlights. Spencer has Aria's bags over her shoulders and Aria can see a car parked at the end of her street.

"We have to move quickly!" Spencer snaps and the tone of her voice sends a nervous trickle down Aria's spine.

"I know, I know!" Aria starts to jog and soon the girls reach the car. It's a black, four-door Sedan with a cracked passenger-side window and a rusted license plate. There's an old sticker of a smiley face on the top of the passenger mirror, and someone keyed the word _'_ _Slut_ _'_ into the door. Aria wonders if Spencer stole this car, but then decides she doesn't care. They're together and that's all that matters.

"Get in the car!" Spencer hisses. She opens the right side day, tosses Aria's bags into the backseat and climbs into the driver's side.

Aria glances back at her house. Through the shadows, she can make out her parents' car. Earlier that day, she'd tripped over Mike's lacrosse stick and Mike had laughed and called her a klutz. For dinner, Ella had made Aria's favorite meal, and her father had let her order one of her favorite movies off On Demand. Mike had even made a strawberry sundae for Aria, complete with gummy bears as a topping - something Aria had loved since she was a kid. "Maybe I should -"

"GET IN THE CAR!"

Spencer's voice rings through the air and Aria immediately obeys, rushing into her seat. She hasn't even shut the door properly when Spencer peels away and makes a sharp left, speeding down her neighborhood.

Aria scrambles to buckle her seatbelt. Her heart is racing and in the back of her mind, an alarm is going off. This is a bad idea. She shouldn't be doing this. But...Spencer loves her and Aria loves Spencer. Spencer knows how to take care of her.

"I'm sorry," Aria whispers.

Spencer grunts and flicks her head toward a bag at Aria's feet. "There's a baggie in the inside pocket. Take two of the pills and tie the bandana that's in there around your eyes."

Aria peeks at her feet. Sure enough, a bag is tucked neatly underneath it. Obviously Spencer has planned well for this. She obediently pulls the bag into her lap and ruffles through it. A bottle of water, more prescription bottles, a watch. Wallets.

" _She_ _'_ _s very sick._ _"_ Officer Hendrick's - Brant's - voice buzzes in her mind. Aria licks her lips and locates the bag of pills. They're small and round and Aria dumps out two into her hand. The bandana is black and a musty odor wafts up her nose.

"I don't like the way this smells."

"Aria," Spencer warns, her voice clipped, "Do as I say."

Aria pops the pills into her mouth and dry-swallows them. Her throat burns and she quickly fastens the bandana tightly around her head. Her vision is cut off and Aria sighs, leaning back in her seat. "What did I take?"

"It doesn't matter. Just relax."

"Spencer?" Aria's voice is tiny and by the way she suddenly slams into her door, she can tell Spencer has hit the freeway.

"What?"

"You love me, right?"

"Of _course_ I love you. Why would you ask that?"

Aria plays with a bracelet on her wrist. "..Never mind. It was an absurd question. I know you love me."

"Aria," Spencer's voice is soft and she reaches a hand over, lightly gripping Aria's knee, "I wouldn't have come back for you if I didn't love you."

"I know, I'm sorry," Aria grumbles. "I just missed you. I wish you would have come back sooner."

"I had other matters to take care of."

"Like what?"

"That is none of your concern."

Aria opens her mouth to reply but decides against it. _Spencer does love me. That_ _'_ _s why she came back for me. She loves me more than anyone else does._ The longer they drive the more sleepy Aria becomes. Her eyes are drooping and she struggles to keep them open, even though she's wearing a blindfold. She shuts her eyes and allows her muscles to relax, listening the sounds around her. The _whoosh_ of cars as they fly by, the occasional _click_ of the turn signal whenever Spencer changes lanes. Soon Aria tunes out all the other sounds and focuses solely on Spencer's breathing. _In, out, in, out. Spencer_ _is inhaling and exhaling. One, two, on_ _e, two,_ _o_ _ne..._

 _ **July 14th**_ _ **,**_ _ **12:30P.M.**_

It's cold and Aria turns over, mumbling in her sleep. Her feet are freezing and she clumsily reaches down her bed to search for her socks, through half-open eyelids. Only...her socks aren't where she left them. In fact, her bed isn't soft - it feels like leather. _What the fuck?_

Aria's eyes flutter open and she sits up. She isn't in her bed and for a moment, she panics. Then she remembers - she's with Spencer. Aria pulls her legs up to her chest and glances around. She's in a very large living room. The floor has white, plush carpeting and the walls are painted a light beige color. Potted plants sit along one wall, near a stone fireplace. There's a huge flat-screen TV above the fireplace and the air smells like pumpkin-scented candles. She pushes herself off the couch and walks slowly finds her way to the kitchen.

The kitchen is even more glamorous than the living room. It's filled with top-of-the-line kitchen appliances and granite countertops. The tiled floor looks like it was freshly waxed and polished. Aria can see her reflection staring up at her and she screams. Her hair is cut shoulder-length and it's been dyed a platinum-blonde. The ends barely reach her shoulders. She raises a shaky hand up and combs her fingers through her new locks.

"Oh, you're awake."

Aria spins around. Spencer is standing behind her, wearing a dark blue robe. Her hair is wrapped up in a towel and there are fish-shaped slippers on her feet. She smells like nutmeg and for a second, Aria forgets her anger, but it quickly returns when she catches sight of her reflection again.

"You - my - what did you do to my _hair?_ _"_

Spencer's eyes drift up to Aria's hair and she shrugs nonchalantly. "It needed to be done. You ran away. There's a warrant out for my arrest. Your family will discover that you're gone soon, and it won't take them long to put two and two together." She breezes past Aria and opens the fridge, eyes scanning its contents.

Aria gingerly touches her hair. She's still groggy from whatever Spencer gave her and she sinks slowly onto a bar stool. "You didn't even ask me," she whimpers. "Y-you had me take drugs so you could _change the length and the color of my hair._ _"_

Spencer pulls out a carton of eggs and sets it on the counter next to the fridge. "Eggs and sausage okay?"

"I loved my hair and now it's - it's gone!"

"Or would you prefer bacon?"

"Spencer! You're not even listening to me! You can't just change my goddamn hair without even consulting me, and -"

 _ **Slap!**_

Aria is on the floor before she realizes Spencer smacked her. Her cheek is stinging and tears form in her eyes. Spencer is leaning over the island table, glaring down at Aria.

"Are you getting an _attitude_ with me?"

Aria brings a hand up to her already-swollen cheek. It's tender to the touch and tears roll down her cheeks. _See?_ a nasty little voice in the back of her mind sneers, _it hasn_ _'_ _t been a day and she_ _'_ _s already hit you. Things will never be different. Don_ _'_ _t you see?_

"Y-you hurt me..."

"BECAUSE YOU NEVER LISTEN!" Spencer snaps. She storms around to Aria's side and forces her to her feet. "Why don't you ever _fucking_ listen to me?"

Aria stares into Spencer's heated gaze and remains silent, too terrified to speak.

" _Well?_ _"_ Spencer demands. "Answer me!"

"I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You're right, I…I overreacted."

Spencer lets go of Aria and shoves her back. "Don't ever do that again. You are to accept all changes without question. You are to do as I say without a second's hesitation. Never question anything. Do you understand?"

"I- yes, I understand."

Spencer sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb. "God, you're so frustrating."

Aria's bottom lip trembles and she rubs her cheek, fighting the urge to wince in front of Spencer. "I-I know I am." _I shouldn_ _'_ _t have angered her. Why am I such a disappointment?_

"Just - " Spencer waved her hand dismissively, "make us something to eat."

"What do you want?"

"Just make anything, Aria! Jesus, do I need to hold your hand through every goddamn thing you do?"

"N-no.."

"Then you decide what to make. You're a big girl. I'll be in the living room."

Spencer waltzes out of the room, leaving Aria alone. Despite the monstrous size of the kitchen, Aria feels tiny and insignificant. In the middle of frying Spencer's egg, Aria catches her reflection in a shiny, steel toaster and realizes for the first time since she met Spencer, that maybe the girl is toxic after all.

 _ **1:49P.M.**_

" _ **In other news, Pennsylvania police have issued an Amber Alert for the disappearance of seventeen-year-old Aria Montgomery -**_ _ **"**_

Aria's head snaps up. Two hours have passed since her and Spencer's little 'dispute' in the kitchen. Aria had made a breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon and grits. The girls had eaten in silence and shortly after, Spencer had fallen asleep, curled into a ball on the couch.

Aria's hands pause with one a pair of her panties in her hands (Spencer ordered her to fold their clothes) and she grips it tightly, twisting it as she stares up at the TV.

 _ **Believed to be with wanted-kidnapper Spencer Hastings. Suspect is considered extremely dangerous. If you have any information on Aria**_ _ **'**_ _ **s whereabouts, please contact your local police department immediately.**_

The words in the description box are almost foreign and Aria's gaze drifts over to the disposal cellphone Spencer had left out on the coffee table.

 _I should at least let them know I_ _'_ _m okay. Let them know that they can off the search. I_ _'_ _m where I_ _'_ _m supposed to be._

Her chest tightens as she picks up the phone and crawls away from Spencer and over to a corner of the room. She's too afraid to actually stand up and walk away. She's closer to the TV and the new's reporter's voice is almost deafening to her ears. Her palms are so sweaty she drops the phone twice before she gains a tight grip on it. She dials her number, presses the phone to her ear and holds her breath.

"Come on, pick up..."

She suddenly remembers of the time in Boston, when Spencer had caught her trying to call her parents. The aftermath had been horrible.

"Pick up, pick up.."

This time will be different, right?

" _Hello?_ _"_ A worried, familiar voice is in her ear. His voice fills her with a sense of comfort and she nearly squeals into the receiver.

"Mike?"

" _A-Aria? Holy - where are you? What_ _'_ _s going on?_ _"_ His voice rises and Aria just knows he's pacing around his room, one hand pressed to his forehead.

"I-" Aria peeks over her shoulder - Spencer is sound asleep. "I - I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay. I'm where I'm supposed to be."

Mike's quiet for a second and Aria fears he's going to hang up.

" _You_ _'_ _re with her, aren_ _'_ _t you?_ _"_

Aria swallows. "Yes," she says quietly. "Mike, she loves me."

" _Where the hell are you guys?_ _"_

The question catches Aria by surprise and she realizes it's because she doesn't _know_ where they are. She'd been asleep for almost the whole duration of the car ride.

"Aria?"

"I don't know." A groan from Spencer causes ice to shoot through Aria's veins and she whips around, with an explanation ready and her free arm up to protect her face. Only Spencer is still fast asleep. A sigh escapes Aria and she settles back on her heels. She keeps her eyes trained on the sleeping girl. "Mike, p-please don't tell Mom and Dad. I'm okay, really."

"Why did you go back to her?"

"I - I love her..."

" _We_ love you," Mike counters.

Spencer stirs and Aria clamps a hand over her mouth. "I have to go," she garbles through parted fingers and hangs up before Mike can say anything. She scoots across the room and replaces the phone on the coffee table. The second she sits back in her original spot, Spencer opens her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Spencer mumbles.

"Just watching TV," Aria says, keeping her voice steady and calm.

Spencer turns off the TV with its remote and wordlessly pats the spot next to her.

Aria carefully sits down and Spencer turns Aria's head to the left, examining her right cheek. "Still swollen. Did you put ice on it?"

"Yeah."

"You know I wouldn't have had to hit you at all if it weren't for your mouth, right?"

"Yeah..."

Spencer presses her mouth to Aria's cheek and rests one hand on her knee. "And you know how much I love you."

"That's why you came back for me." Aria smiles and slides into Spencer's lap. "I tried telling everyone that. They wouldn't listen to me when I told them you love me."

"People don't understand me, Aria. But _you_ do."

Aria beams. "I do! I understand you!"

Spencer drags her nails across Aria's jawline and down to her collarbone. "Mm, and I know what's best for you."

"Y-yeah."

Spencer's fingers dip just under the collar of Aria's shirt. "I'm the only one who cares about you, the only one who really _understands_ you."

"Not even my family understands me. I remember you saying that."

"That's right, Ari. You have a good memory." Spencer stroked Aria's still-swollen cheek and kissed her forehead. "Why don't you go take a shower? Be mindful of your cheek. There's a bathroom on the second floor, third floor down on your left."

"Spencer?"

"Yeah?"

"Where are we? We're still in Pennsylvania, right?"

Spencer gently pushes Aria up and stretches her legs out on the couch. She tilts her head back and grins up at Aria. "Go shower. We'll talk when you're out, okay?"

"Okay," Aria replies quietly. _Better not upset her. I don_ _'_ _t want her to hit me again._ "Do you promise we'll talk after my shower?"

Spencer gestures toward the hallway with the TV remote. "Shower."

 _Just go, Aria, before you piss her off._ "..Okay, I won't be long." Aria turns and pads out into the main hallway and up the carpeted staircase. The staircase, like the rest of the house, is immaculate and as Aria runs her fingers over the banister, her hand comes away dust-free.

On the second floor, Aria can count six rooms, three on each side. Was it the second door or the third? Aria chooses second, twisting the knob, pushing it open and peering inside. It isn't the bathroom, but an office. Aria glimpses over her shoulder and slips into the room. She's careful to leave the door open a crack before turning around.

It's small. A single bookshelf, its contents ranging from _The Picture of Dorian Gray_ to a Webster's Dictionary. Aria traces a book's spine and moves to the desk. A desktop computer is on it, no papers, nothing else. _I really shouldn_ _'_ _t. I really, really shouldn_ _'_ _t._ But against her conscience, Aria eases into the computer chair and shakes the mouse.

The computer's startup screen pops up, and the small smile fades from Aria's lips. "Of course Spencer has her computer password-protected. What is she trying to hide?," she grumbles. The chair squeaks as she leans forward and rests her hands on the keyboard.

 _H-a-s-t-i-n-g-s,_ she types in hopefully. But an error message appears and she sighs. "What else could have been used as the password?" A thought strikes her and she slowly types in _A-r-i-_ _a,_ with a small bubble of hope foreign in her stomach. But Lady Luck isn't her friend - the same error message pops up. Aria groans and tilts her head back. _Figuring out a password shouldn_ _'_ _t be hard. I can do this. Or...maybe I can pretend I want to play a game and Spencer will give me the password._ A tired sigh flutters out of her mouth and she stands up. She exits the room and quickly finds the bathroom. _I_ _'_ _ll work on getting the password out of her after my shower._

 _ **3:15pm**_

"Spencer, where are we?"

"We're in Nebraska, in a cabin of mine."

" _Nebraska?_ You have a cabin in Nebraska?"

"I have cabins everywhere, Aria."

"Oh. Why?"

"I like to get away once in a while, is that a bad thing?"

"No."

Aria and Spencer are lying on the bed of the master bedroom. The carpeting is light blue and the walls are a swirl of blue and white. There aren't any photo frames on the wall and the furniture is sparse - a bed, two dressers and a hamper. The closet is a walk-in and next to the bathroom. If Aria leans back and cranes her neck, she can see a giant jacuzzi tub. It look inviting, but Aria is hesitant to ask Spencer if she can use it. "Spencer, I - can I use your hot tub?"

Spencer glances in the direction of her bathroom and a slow, mysterious smile spreads over her lips. "Why don't we both use it? I'll set up. Why don't you go get some candles? We'll make a little date out of it. There should be some candles in the kitchen."

Aria grins halfheartedly. "Um, okay. Sure!" Maybe a date is just what they need after the rough start they had. But as she returns to the kitchen in search of the candles, she can't ignore the little crackle of nerves in her stomach, and it isn't excitement.

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What do you guys think so far?! And yes, _Demons_ will be continued!

So happy to be back! Please R&R!


	2. Bubble, Bubble Toil and Trouble

So sorry! I keep getting sick. Next up is either _Demons_ or _Parasites -_ whichever you prefer! Just leave your choice in a review! :)

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By the time Aria returns with a few candles, Spencer has already setup her jacuzzi tub. The scent of lavender tickles Aria's nose, and when she carefully places the candles around the jacuzzi in a spacious _circle,_ she can see soft rose petals floating in the bubbly water. Spencer is waiting for her patiently, and Aria can't help the giddy feeling that sloshes through her stomach.

"Are you going to stand there and stare at me, or are you going to join me?" Spencer asks in a pleasant, alluring tone that sends excited shivers down Aria's spine.

"Of course." Aria crosses her arms over her abdomen and yanks her top over her head. She shimmies out of her pants and starts to make her way over to the tub.

"Wait."

Aria freezes with one foot resting place just above the water, and looks at Spencer in confusion.

"Take off your bra and underwear, silly."

"Oh," Aria blushes. She's quick to remove the undergarments and slowly slides into the tub. The water is hot, and it soothes her still-sore muscles. It swallows her up as she sinks onto a wall bench, just past her shoulders. The bubbles pulsate against her tight knots and tender bruises, and a relaxed sigh escapes her lips. _Careful, Aria. You're doing fine. Just don't piss her off._ If only it were that simple.

Spencer glides through the water and drapes her arms around Aria's neck. She tilts her head down and presses her lips against Aria's. Their lips are warm from the wet moisture in the air, and this only causes Spencer to bring Aria closer. She gently coaxes Aria off the bench and her hands travel up to cup Aria's face between her hands.

"I love you," she murmurs against the shorter girl's lips. The bubbling heat has melted away any prior frustrations toward the younger woman, and Spencer's leg hooks around the back of Aria's knees.

"I love you too," Aria mumbles back. _Liar, liar,_ her mind snickers. _What do you think she's going to do to you when she finds out what you did, huh?_ She hums and shakes the thought away. Yeah, as if Aria will ever tell Spencer about _that._ "So, uh, what do you want to do tomorrow? Do you think I need more clothes?"

"Not right now," Spencer sighs. "We just got here. I'll buy you new clothes in a week or so."

Aria plays with the her hands nervously. "Hey, Spence?"

Suspicion clouds Spencer's face. "…Wbat?" she asks in an even tone.

Aria mashes her lips together. "Do you think I can call my family? I just –"

And Aria is under the hot water, her legs having been kicked out from underneath her. The water burns her ears and eyes, and she quickly hurried back to the surface, coughing and spluttering up bath water.

Choking

"Oh, God, Aria!" Spencer pulls Aria to her and pats her roughly on the back. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to kick you. My leg just had this weird spasm. Are you okay?"

Aria nods, still coughing up a bit of water. "I-it's okay," she swallows. "I'm okay, don't worry."

Spencer brushes a lock of wet hair off Aria's damp cheek. "Now, what were you saying?"

"I was just wondering if I could call my family?" Aria asks in a quiet voice.

"See, that's what I thought you said." B

Before Aria can react, Spencer grabs a fistful of her hair and roughly forces Aria underwater. She holds one hand on her head and one disappears under to grip the back of Aria's neck.

The water has rushed into her lungs and Aria can't breathe. It did elt feels scalding hot, and Aria can hear the faint sound of the faucet running above her. Her linens burn, twisting painfully inside her chest, and she struggles to break free of Spencer's hold.

 _Air!_ Her mind screams at her. Her lungs are in fire, and Aria feels like her chest is going to explode. Then she is being yanked up. A cool blast of air hits her face, and Aria is choking up water. Her lungs ache with every cough, and the only thing she can focus on is Spencer's very angry glare.

"I'm s—"

But she is shoved back under, this time to the bottom of the tub. He head smacks off a filter or something, and pain radiates through her head. This time, the burning in her lungs has intensified and Aria starts to feel lightheaded. Drowsy. Is this what it feels like to die?

Just before she slips into unconsciousness, she is forced back up. A loud, strangled gasp comes rushing out the back of her throat. And she is under again. Out. In. Out. In. Aria had lost track of the number of times Spencer has forced her under, and just when she thinks she can't survive another round, Spencer pulls her up so hard she's yanked onto the wet tile of the bathroom floor. She lies there, her chest heaving up and down as she tries to force air back into her lungs.

"Does that answer your question?" Spencer snarls above her.

"Y-yes," Aria coughs out.

"Goddammit, Aria. Just… _fuck._ Clean – clean up the mess you made. There is water all over my bathroom floor. Meet me in the kitchen when you're done." Spencer delivers a hard kick to Aria's stomach and smirks at the painful grunt the smaller girl makes. She then disappears, slamming the bathroom door as hard as she can behind her. A second resounding slam is followed by the bedroom door, and Aria is left alone.

It takes a while, but Aria manages to clean up the bathroom. She wipes the floor clean, drains the water in the tub (and thereby the rose petals), and blows out the candles. Aria carefully sets the candles on the very large countertop and exits out another door, into the hallway. It is then that the tears start to fall. Why? Why is she always so fucking stupid? Jesus.

Aria takes a deep breath and is about to head downstairs when she realizes she is still naked. She fetches her clothes from the bathroom (thankfully they hadn't gotten wet) and hurriedly pulls them on. She practically rushes downstairs to the kitchen, only to find it empty. Frowning, she makes her way to the living room. Spencer is sound asleep, curled up in a plush, fake red robe. The TV is on and its blue glow dances over Spencer's face.

The rapid beating of Aria's heart starts to relax, and she drags her hands through her tangled hair. She chews on her bottom lip momentarily, the wheels turning in her head. An idea strikes her and Aria swallows back any second thoughts. A quick glance at the TV shows an episode of _Glee,_ and Aria snorts. No wonder Spencer crashed. Though nearly drowning someone just take a lot out of you, too.

Aria's eyes dart back to a still-sleeping Spencer and she frowns. Okay. She could do this. She pivots on her heels and quickly, let quietly bounds back up the stairs to the second floor. Aria slips into the computer room and takes a seat at the desk. She wakes the monitor up and stares down at the keyboard. A thousand possibilities rave through her foggy mind and she covers her eyes with her palms. She couldn't do –

No. _No._ Aria pulls her hands away, a determined glint in her eyes.

"I'm done being a victim," she announces to herself. _There has to be something on the computer. Something Spencer doesn't want anyone seeing. Why else password-protect your computer if you live in the middle of nowhere? Whatever it is, it must be pretty bad._

Aria cracks her knuckles and straightens her back. "Time to fight fire with fire."

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There you guys are! Please review.

P.S. you guys are welcome to follow mythe girls Tumblr account - blog/theredvelvetheart for anon questions (or not!) about my stories, update information, etc. Feel free to ask questions regarding my fics and also ask questions directed to the characters - the girls would love to answer!

P.P.S. if the link doesn't work, my Tumblr is theredvelvetheart :D


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